Still Right Here
by Chuchi Otaku
Summary: "He didn't get it: they got away from Shredder's base, kicked Mega Shredder's butt and even managed to get a brain worm! So why did it feel like something's still wrong?" Mikey helps his family deal with the aftermath of the Attack of Mega Shredder and learns that his bros aren't the only one in need of healing.
1. Of Walls and Silence

**Disclaimer:** Don't own. No sue. Plain and simple, ja?

* * *

 **Still Right Here**

Universe: TMNT 2012

Pairings: None

Warnings: Spoilers for the Season 3 episode "The Attack of the Mega Shredder"

* * *

 _"Today wasn't such a bad day after all!"_

Mikey remembered Leo saying a while ago, right after beating Mega Shredder and saving the city once again. In the confusion and the mess that was the mutated monster's defeat, the Turtle Mech was able to slip past the frenzy nearly undetected, though the team had to take it further away from the entrance of the layer just in case someone was following them.

April and Casey and gone on home after reaching the sewer entrance, saying something about their families, so it was just him and his bros aboard the Turtle Mech now. Normally this would not be a problem, as Mikey loved spending as much time as he could with his brothers when not on patrol. But today, for some reason, the air was charged despite the quiet, with a tense hum of _something_ that was quite off—the rigid silence that usually told him that someone was going to get it, bad, which he did not understand.

They were able to sneak in Shredder's base and escape, kicked Mega Shredder's butt and nabbed a brain worm while they were at it! And Leo was happy earlier, wasn't he? So why did it feel like something was still wrong?

"Uh, guys?" Mikey prompted after the team finished parking the Turtle Mech. They were on their way to the Lair now, with Raph in front and being supported by Donnie while Mikey and Leo fell far back. The thickly frigid silence was still there and getting so much worse that he just had to say something!

"What?" came Raph's voice, rougher than usual with a bite that usually told Mikey his older brother was angry. Even on a bad ankle, Raph still looked scary!

Come on, Mikey, be brave. You can do this. "Are you, uh, OK? I mean, I know you guys like it quiet and all, but this really pushing it."

"OK?" Raph spat the word out as if it were a curse. Mikey nearly jumped at the venom it contained. "Are you seriously asking me after—do I _look_ OK to you?!"

The orange turtle cringed. Yeah, ask that to the turtle who got his ankle twisted. Way to go, Mikey! "Haha, right, uhm, stupid question. But hey, at least we're all in one piece, right? So maybe we could just stop acting like someone's died and all because—"

He didn't miss the way his brothers' shoulders had gone stiff at his words, and once again Mikey was left wondering what was wrong with everybody when Raph actually snarled in a way that Mikey reminded Raph of a mother bear he once saw in a nature show Donnie made them watch once.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with your stupidity right now, Mikey, so do us all a favor and shut the hell up!"

Mikey's knees nearly buckled and he could have sworn he wilted on the spot. From next to him, he felt Leo step to the front. "That's enough Raph!"

"And don't you even start with me, Fearless!" Raph snapped at him. "It's your fault this all happened in the first place!"

Leo tensed and for a minute, and Mikey thought there will be another fight.

"Guys, just stop." Donnie cut in, sending Raph a look. "We can talk about this later. For now, let's just get back in the lair. I still need to check Raph's ankle and you two need to explain to Master Splinter. All right?"

Donnie's tone and the sharpness in his chocolate eyes left no room for argument. Mikey watched as his oldest brother nod quietly then Raph who merely huffed but did not resist as Donnie turned them away. And suddenly there was a wall between his two older brothers and him and Leo, Mikey didn't know how or why and he was lost on what to say to make everything OK again because why in the world were they not?

"I'm sorry, Leo." Mikey whispered from his bowed head, fists clenched in frustration at his ability to make things worse when he was just trying to help.

He felt a gentle hand pat his head, making him look up to meet darker blue eyes tinged with a mix of sadness and something Mikey could not quite place.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Mikey." Leo said with that hushed tone, still gazing ahead. "Everything's going to be fine."

Mikey wished he shared his brother's confidence, he really did.

But as they drew closer to the lair, only one thought reigned in Mikey's mind, bouncing back and forth like an tennis ball.

 _How am I supposed to fix this?_

* * *

This was originally planned to be a one shot but it grew too long that I had to chop it in bite sized pieces. See you next time.


	2. Of Crognard and A Father's Advice

Now, more than ever, Mikey wished he could continue thinking everything was going to be fine. Because so far, the world is really out to prove otherwise.

After returning to the lair, boy did he and Leo have it from their father and brothers! Though, really, most of their anger was directed to Leo, who had his head down and accepted all the scolding with the practiced grace of the eldest son.

"What you did was foolish and irresponsible, and I expected more from you, Leonardo!"

Mikey couldn't get the words out of his head or Leo's crestfallen expression at that statement. Mikey had been determined to shoulder half of the blame for this mess, but Leo didn't even let him get a word edgewise. Mikey was dismissed earlier than Leo because of that, making Mikey worried about how the rest of the evening went for his oldest brother. He managed to get a glimpse of Leo heading to the bedroom when Mikey left his own for some pizza. He invited Leo to join him but the other turtle declined, saying something about a headache.

Leo couldn't even look at him straight all the while, the poor turtle.

Never had Mikey felt so bad for not getting into trouble before.

What made it worse was that, no one was happy that they've gotten the brain worm from all that trouble, not even Leo. Why was everyone still so hung up on his and Leo's little adventure when they should be celebrating that they have a chance to get Karai back? But for now, said worm was chilling in a glass box on one of Donnie's shelves, completely ignored.

Everything is so messed up, Mikey thought as he flicked to another channel, all alone in the living area. And I have no idea how to make it better again. I hate it when the lair's like this. I really thought getting that brain worm would make everyone happy again, but somehow, it actually made everything worse!

" _Ooooh, why is everyone mad at friend Crognard, spooch, spooch?"_ Mikey heard from the TV, making him lift his head from his knees slightly. The latest episode of Crognard the Barbarian, huh? Normally, he would be over the moon about this, but today was so far from normal he didn't feel like it.

" _And how are you not, Spooch? Crognard has attacked our enemy's base with a foolhardy plan and nearly got you killed!"_

" _But friend Wizardess, friend Crognard saved us all by defeating the evil giant spooch spooch!"_

" _And so many things could have gone wrong then, Spooch! We were lucky we managed to get you away from the enemy in one piece!"_

" _Oooh…"_

" _Does Spooch not understand? We are not angry at Crognard because of his plan. It would not have mattered to us if succeeded or not. It mattered that because you could have died!"_

" _B—But…"_ The fluffy blue pet floated next to Wizardess, looking equally unsure and remorseful. _"But Spooch is still right here, spooch spooch…"_

"Michelangelo?"

Mikey let out a cry of shock that nearly sent him down the floor. He managed to catch himself quick enough to look behind him. "S—Sensei?"

Splinter walked up to his youngest, cane in hand and a soft expression on his face. "What are you doing out here by yourself? Where are your brothers?"

"Oh, well Leo said he'd turn in early and Raph's at his room resting his ankle and Donnie's in his lab." Mikey said after turning off the TV, his favorite show's episode had gotten too close to his situation right now for comfort. "I guess I just have nothing to do…"

"I see. Then you would not mind if I wish to join you?"

"Huh? Oh no, absolutely not, Master Splinter." Mikey gave his father the brightest smile he could. "I probably won't be good company though. Raph always says I'm too noisy."

"On the contrary," Splinter said as he took a seat beside the young turtle. "I find that you are a little too quiet. Is there something wrong, my son?"

Mikey raised an eye ridge in confusion. "Huh? Me? But I'm fine, sensei. It's everyone else who's not doing so hot. I guess…if there's something wrong with me, it's because I can't do anything to fix it."

Splinter gave a hum but said nothing. Mikey fidgeted his toes in thought, before looking to the rat again. "Sensei, are you…are you mad at us too?"

The wizened once human was quick to shake his head. "I am not angry at you and your brother, Michelangelo, but at what you have done. I can understand your intentions and I am grateful that you are all doing your best to save Miwa. However, what you, most especially Leonardo as the leader, must not forget is that there are things that are equally as important as rescuing my daughter. Things that we could have lost today, and your brothers are more than aware of it."

Man, Mikey must have missed a lot not being in the family meeting, because he certainly wasn't aware of that.

"Sensei, we know what we did was wrong. We shouldn't have sneaked out and went Rambo on the Shredder's headquarters and it's our fault Mega Shredder got made and we're really sorry for that. But, hello, we _finally_ got a brain worm! We can finally do something to save Karai! Why can't everyone just look at that and not on…what you're all looking at right now?"

Mikey bent his head with a miserable pout. "I thought everything would be better now, because Karai's still with the Shredder, you and Leo have been miserable for days, Donnie's been working so hard on planning stuff and Raph's been so angry because we can't do anything. Then I'm just…there…"

Nothing was spoken for a while, and just when Mikey felt his eyes sting with slowly building tears, a hand draped on his shoulder.

"S—Sensei?"

"I sometimes forget how big that heart that you possess is, my son." Splinter began gently. "It is a bright and warm gift, though oftentimes taken for granted. Much so that it is easy to lose sight of what good this gift brings, only to be reminded of it when it nearly would have been lost forever."

It was times like these that Mikey was really frustrated at himself. "I, uh, don't think I get it, sensei…?"

"I know why Raphael and Donatello are troubled," Splinter continued. "But it is best for you to find out from them why. What I can tell you, is that while I was displeased by your actions, I am above all relieved that you are safe and home. And no matter what, you and your brothers, will always be my sons."

Mikey smiled slightly before he blinked his baby blues hopefully. "Sooo…you're not mad anymore?"

Splinter chuckled at that. "Certainly not, but you and Leonardo are still grounded for the rest of the week. And your additional training still stands."

"Haha…yeah, I thought that too."

"And remember, Michelangelo," Splinter said warmly with a fond tap on Mikey's head. "You are doing more than you think you are in keeping this family together. If there is anyone here who can reach your brothers in this trying time, I have utmost faith that you can."

"R—Really?" Mikey didn't feel so sure, remembering how Raph snapped at him earlier.

"You have greater influence than you quite realize. Strength does not come from brute force alone, and yours is the kind of strength that saves people from themselves." Splinter said. "And I never said it would be easy, but the most beautiful things in life never are. I think your brothers' happiness is worth fighting for, do you not agree?"

Mikey didn't exactly agree with the first part, because all he seemed to be good for was pissing his bros off, but Master Splinter had a point. Family was what's most important, and even if it meant being backhanded to hell and back for trying, Mikey would be damned before he gave up on any of them.

"Oh yeah they are, definitely! Watch out bros, 'cause Dr. Feel-goodenstein is back in the house!" Mikey crowed with a cheery grin, earning an exasperated smile from his father.

"I admire your zeal, Michelangelo, and I truly believe that you can do anything once you set your mind into it. But remember that in order for you to be able to care for others, you must take care of yourself first." Splinter said. "Remember that two blind men cannot lead one another."

"Please, sensei, it's me. When am I not a-OK?" He said with teasing cheek before giving Splinter a tight hug. "…Thanks, dad."

"You are always welcome, my son." The familiar chuckle was like a soothing trill to Mikey's heart.

* * *

What this show needs is more Splinter moments with his sons other than Leo, really. I get that Leo is the leader but the other bros still need the love! :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorite-d/followed this baby! Let me know what you guys think of this one and see you next chapter!


	3. Of Coffee and Check-ups

Dr. Feel-goodenstein is having cold feet, apparently.

Mikey meant it when he said he was going to make his brothers all right again no matter what, and that talk with Splinter really helped. Then why was he standing outside the door to Donnie's lab, squirming like an idiot?

Of all his brothers, he figured Donnie would be the easiest to approach about this. While the purple masked turtle was prone to explosions of panic and hysteria, they were fits that Mikey can handle quite well even at their worst, and considering what happened today, he figured Donnie was the least likely to blow up on him.

So why, _again_ , was he standing outside the door to Donnie's lab, squirming like an idiot?

Ugh, this is getting me nowhere! Mikey huffed, bopping his head. OK, Mikey, chillax! It's just Donnie. If you keep your hands to yourself this time, he will most likely not scream at you. Come on, man, you can do this. Deep, calming breaths, lift that hand and knock on that door.

His hand moved up, inching slowly to the metal gate, while Mikey braced himself as if waking a wild beast. That's it. Come on, Mikey, just a little more…

Then, _creak_.

The door opened from the inside.

"Ha?" Mikey's jaw slackened sheepishly.

"Mikey?" Donnie blinked in surprise, looking from Mikey's face to the hand halfway up.

"Oh, uh, heya, Donnie!" Mikey quickly brought his hand back to his head, laughing sheepishly. "Just thought I'd uh, drop by and see you, bro. So what's up?"

"I was supposed to go get some coffee. What about you? Are you OK?"

"Who? Me? Eh, yeah, duh! Fit like a turtle do, dude!" Mikey put on his brightest smile, cheering mentally when Donnie's lips tugged upward slightly.

"Well, that's good. I was worried that, after what happened earlier…" A flash of something passed those brown eyes, but before Mikey could catch it, Donnie's gaze closed up sharply. "Actually, it's good that you're here. I wasn't able to do it earlier because I needed to work on Raph's ankle but since we're both free, I could run that check on you."

"Woah, bro, chill, you don't need to do that!" Mikey waved his hands in front of him almost defensively. He honestly felt completely fine, no hurting whatsoever. Not what one would expect after being swallowed by the Mega Shredder, but really!

He probably didn't look convincing enough though. "I'm just taking precautions, Mikey. We don't know what was inside that thing or if being inside it for too long could have detrimental effects on your body or—"

"I've just been in there for five minutes tops, bro!"

"Well I'm still looking anyway. Better to be safe than sorry." Donnie said in his archly putting-my-foot-down-on-this-matter voice.

Mikey didn't really see what the big deal was but decided to relent. He didn't want to worry his brother any more than he obviously was, and this was also a good way for them to spend some time together without Mikey having to make up some excuse.

That didn't mean he won't act like a drama queen about it, though. "Ugh, fiiine."

* * *

Mikey never really enjoyed check-ups, even when he knew he needed them. Donnie was good at his job, but all that prodding and poking really made the youngest turtle uncomfortable and the need to keep still and quiet really made it hard of Mikey's limited patience reserve.

But making sure his family was in tip top shape made Donnie happy, and a happy Donnie also made a happy Mikey, so the orange turtle endured it as best as he could. And since Mikey wasn't _really_ hurt this time, it took shorter than usual.

"I told you, dude, I'm A-OK!" Mikey wiggled his feet at his genius brother for emphasis. "See, all my toes are in working order!"

Donnie gave him an almost indulging smile from behind his coffee mug. "You mentioned acid while you were in the Mega Shredder's stomach. How long were you near it?"

"Eh, probably a minute or two. Not very long, for sure. Why?"

"Knowing most acids, there could be a chance it can burn the windpipe on inhalation. Are you having trouble breathing? Is your throat OK?"

Hmm, now that Mikey thought about it… "My throat does feel a bit scratchy. I never really thought it could be something wrong."

Donnie took a look into the other turtle's throat, and tutted. "It appears to be a little red, but it's probably just laryngeal irritation due to the fumes. I could give you something to make it feel better, though it may take a few days before the swelling subsides."

"Awesome! Thanks, dude!" Mikey watched as his brother turned to the medicine cabinet. Well that had been a surprise, but at least there wasn't anything serious. He could tell it relieved some tension on Donnie's shoulders and Mikey was glad for that.

He hated it when his brothers are all tense and rigid, like a single touch could make them snap in a flurry of anger and stress. It was a painful sight and it felt so wrong to see it on any member of his family. It was partly why he worked so hard to keep everyone as happy as he could.

It's why he's here right now.

With a breath and mentally crossed fingers, Mikey coughed out. "Uh, Donnie?"

"Yeah?"

"Ah, actually, the truth is, about why I really wanted to see you, it's because, I just..." Mikey cleared his throat. "I'm wanna say sorry, you know, about earlier."

Mikey looked down quickly when he saw Donnie freeze. "I know you and Raph are really mad at Leo and me for what we did, and I totally get that. I mean, we're supposed to act like a team, but then all of sudden, Leo and I just ditched you and got the city in trouble. But we—I wasn't trying to pull anything, I swear! It's just that, you and Leo were working really hard to save Karai and I'm practically useless. So when I saw Leo sneaking out of the lair, all I could think of was that I didn't want Leo to go alone, that I wanted to help." Mikey let out an empty chuckle. "But, wow, some help I was. If Leo was on his own or with one of you guys, he probably wouldn't have been caught so easily."

"Mikey," Wait, Donnie was in front of him? When did he get there? "You know that's not true. I think Leo would have been caught with or without you, so, in a way, I'm glad you went with him. I mean, it's not the best case scenario, but I bet you being there kept it from getting a whole lot worse."

Mikey's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Did Donnie just say it was good that he had been around? Like, for real? He was almost tempted to whip out his chucks and go, 'who are you and what have you done to our Donatello?!'

But the infirmary bed shifted, and Mikey was distracted when Donnie sat next to him. "Look, Raph and I aren't mad because you ditched us, as you put it. When you two were gone, the many possibilities of what could have happened were stuck in my head all day. I wanted to come right after you but I couldn't leave Raph behind so all I could do was watch the news and pray that you both were safe."

Donnie swallowed and a heavy frown marred his oval face. "But then Mega Shredder happened, and I was so sure that it had something to do with you two and I have never been more upset at not knowing anything. Raph couldn't move around with his bad leg so we used the Turtle Mech. We got there as fast as we could, then we saw Leo. But before I feel like I could breathe again, I just realized that You. Weren't.There."

The biting way Donnie said it, like he was spitting ice, made Mikey flinch. However, the hand on his shell was warm, and much more relaxing.

"I could barely concentrate on the fight because I kept looking for you. All the while, I was thinking— _where was Mikey, oh God where was Mikey?—_ then you suddenly showed up on the thing's mouth, breaking all his teeth, and it felt like the rug was pulled under me because, _good Lord_ , my brother was eaten by that monster and I didn't even know!"

The grip was on Mikey's shoulder now, incredibly tight as if it was the only thing keeping the youngest turtle there. Mikey reached a hesitant hand to his brother's plastron. "Donnie…"

"You could have been killed, Mikey!" Donnie's burning chocolate eyes whirled to meet shocked baby blues. "You and Leo could have gotten hurt or worse and Raph and I weren't there to stop it. We could have lost you to that stupid monster and we probably never would have known until it was too late. Do you have any idea how terrible it felt? If Raph hadn't needed my help, I would have clobbered you to death. And mind you, I still have half the mind to!"

Despite his threat, the shining tears in Donnie's eyes made Mikey far less afraid and more worried and guilty. All this time he had been so selfish, thinking of only what happened from his perspective and believing that his family was mad only because he pulled a fast one over all of them.

But all this time, his brothers had been hurting with helplessness, and it was his fault. So Mikey, without really thinking, shot straight to Donnie's chest, arms wrapping around the taller turtle's back in a tight hug.

"'M sorry, Don." Mikey's voice cracked but he pushed forward, because Donnie needed this and he deserved this after the hell Mikey put him through. "I'm sorry I made you and Raph worry so much. When I saw Leo, I just…all I could think of was how badly I wanted to help because you guys have been working so hard and I was just kinda there."

"I—I know, Mikey. By God, do I ever!" Don's voice was as tender as the way he returned Mikey's embrace. "You were always only trying to help, even when we were hard on you because you couldn't focus or you were so clumsy and careless. But you always try, you were always there and you never gave up on us. I know I never say it enough but—it means the absolute world to me, to all of us, that you were always there."

Mikey stiffened for a second and almost didn't ask. "Even if all I do is cause trouble?"

"Oh Mikey, don't say that!" He could have sworn Don's voice broke a little more. "Sure you can get a little out of hand at times, but you're never trouble. You know you're worth a lot more to us, right, little brother?"

Did Mikey, really? The young turtle's eyes met Donnie's briefly before giving the tall turtle a gentle squeeze. "Hey, of course I do! If I ain't around, who's gonna be making you guys breakfast? You'll burn the kitchen down! And where will you be without my awesome jokes?"

Mikey indulged at Donnie's watery chuckle for a second before adding softly. "Don't worry, bro. You can definitely count on me. I'm staying right here and I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?"

"Cross my heart and shell, for as long as you need me, bro."

The way Donnie's eyes shone in the light and the gentle hand on Mikey's cheek made the smaller turtle's heart clench with feeling.

"We'll always need you, baby brother. More than you'll ever know."

* * *

Huzzah for the A-minus team! I hope I wrote Don OK. I love the turtles, but to be honest, he's my least favorite in the 2K12 version. I get that the Apritello flavor does add an interesting dynamic, but it doesn't really work for me. My favorite Don is the calm, kinda mothering 2K3 one.

[Self plugging alert!] There's a sort of alternative POV version of this fic up in Archive of Our Own (AO3), titled Always Be Here. You can find it under my account there as ChuchiOtaku. I'll have that one updated within the next week or so. If you're interested in see this fic through the eyes of Splinter and the other Hamato brothers, do try and check it out. Thanks a bunch in advance for your consideration!

A huge, **huge** thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who's followed/favorited this fic. See you in the next one!


	4. Of Compresses and Conversations

Additional warnings: Language, because Raphie.

* * *

It was with a hot compress in trembling hands and a lot less courage than before that Mikey found himself outside Raphael's door.

Gee, he could face a hundred Foot, Rahzar, Tiger Claw and the Shredder with a stiff upper lip, but is reduced to quivering limbs when it came to his own brother?

A very harsh, volatile and unpredictably rash older brother who could easily bend Mikey in a thousand ways, but still…

I can't believe this! Mikey thought glumly. Man, Donnie, I thought we're all good now. Why are you sending me to face the dragon alone?

" _Uh, Donnie, are you sure this is a good idea?"_

" _Mikey I just told you—"_

" _Dude, you saw how mad he was at me before! Oh man, what if he still is! He'll beat the ever loving cuteness out of me when he sees me!"_

" _Well, first of all, Raph's still got his bad leg and you're the fastest among us so I'm sure avoiding him this time won't be a problem. And second, you know how Raph is. He blows up practically every five minutes, so I'm sure he's calmed down a bit by now."_

" _Enough not to hurt the cuteness?"_

" _Mikey…"_

" _Fine, I got it. Go in there, give Raph his pack, make sure not annoy him too much. No fuss, no muss. I'll be totally –wait, D, you're not going with me?!"_

" _Trust me on this, bro. This is something you've got to do alone."_

Normally, Mikey wasn't afraid of Raph and his infamous temper. If anything, Mikey privately enjoyed provoking Raph, as he understood that the anger was a part of Raph's personality and those rash words, chokeholds and slaps on the head are just his ways to express affection without going all soft. Besides, Raph never truly stayed angry at Mikey for too long. If anything, he seemed quite calmer after a minute of roughing around his youngest brother (which was Mikey's real goal to begin with).

But this situation was different. This time, Raph, if he felt anything like Don did, was more than just angry and not simply because of a silly prank or a stupid joke. This Raph would probably not be OK with just beating Mikey like his punching bag and a declaration of "Raphael is all wise and powerful."

But I owe this to Raph, just like how I do to Sensei, Don and Leo. Mikey thought. He promised himself he was going to make it better. He already fixed things with Sensei and Don, so he'd better do the same with Raph.

Besides, Raph needed his compress.

With a deep breath, he lifted his hand to knock.

"Don?" He heard Raph call from inside. Swallowing and clutching the warm compress, Mikey spoke up. "No, bro, it's me."

"…Mikey?" Was it him, or did Raph sound a tad unsure? Mikey decided to ignore it. "Got that right, dude. I even got your compress right here! So, mind if I come in?"

* * *

Mikey was no stranger to Raph's room. The youngest turtle had several fond memories of hanging out with his brother here, from debating and exchanging comics to distracting Raph from his latest fight with Leo and sleeping over to keep the nightmares away. So Mikey knew every nook and cranny of Raph's room well enough to not trip on anything in the barely lit by a neon lamp darkness (that, and Raph was a tad neater than he was) .

"Hey, dude." Mikey greeted his brother who was lying on the bed with his injured leg propped up a pillow. "How's the leg doing?"

"Been better," Raph sounded light enough to appear safe. "Hurts a lot less if I don't stand on it for too long. Don better be right about this leg getting normal by the end of the week."

"Dude, relax, it's Donnie. When's he ever been wrong?" Mikey waved the hot compress. "So where is this supposed to go?"

"You gotta wrap it around a towel and put it up my ankle. There should be one over there." Raph pointed at the foot of the bed.

Mikey squinted in the dark before finding a worn, white towel rumpled on the sheets and wrapping it around the compress. As gently as he could, the little turtle placed it as instructed. "So, all good, bro?"

Raph's lips tugged down a bit before shrugging and picking up his comic. "Sure. Thanks."

Mikey wanted to say he meant more than the compress but didn't really know where to start. While Raph was easy to talk to when it came to the lighter stuff and anything that had to do with missions or kicking someone's butt, getting him to open up about anything remotely like feelings was worse than pulling teeth, not unless Raph was the one to start it.

Apologizing worked with Don before. Maybe it will help now? Better than nothing, definitely. Mikey inhaled before opening his mouth.

"Uh, Raph, I'm—"

"Listen, Mikey—"

Both brothers looked at each other in surprise, and if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Mikey would have yelled "Jinx!" (Actually, he did that in his head)

Mikey let out a sheepish grin and waved a hand. "Wow, dude, awkward much?"

Raph smirked something teasing. "Heh, didn't know you knew that word."

"Dude, just because I'm not a walking dactotary doesn't mean I'm stupid! I know my English!"

The older turtle rolled his eyes. "Yeah, except for the word dictionary."

"Well, I said I know my English, not every word in it!"

"That doesn't even make sense, Mikey!"

"I know." Mikey winked. "I'm a genius like that."

Raph shook his head and chuckled. "More like a bonehead, bonehead." It was only then that Mikey noticed that his brother's shoulders loosened slightl but Raph's smile faltered a bit.

"Raph?" Mikey watched as the red masked turtle propped himself up his bed to a sitting position.

"Mikey, about what happened, in the sewers, earlier," Raph began, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I, you know I really didn't mean any of that, right?"

 _I'm not in the mood to deal with your stupidity right now,_ Mikey remembered, word per word. _So do us all a favor and shut the hell up!_

"Relax, dude, it's cool. I would have done that to me too, if I was like you and there was another me who was being all annoying. And you don't have to be sorry for that, brah! I totally deserved it."

Mikey's smile didn't reach his eyes as he sat next to his brother's good leg. "Don told me how hard it was for you guys after Leo and I snuck out to get that brain worm. I guess it's harder on you since you're the one with the broken ankle and all. I mean, I know I'd feel totally uncool if you bros were in trouble and I'm pretty useless because of a bad leg." Though I'm still useless without one.

"Mike—"

"When Leo told you what happened, he didn't tell you everything. He didn't exactly let me talk, did he?" Mikey continued. "After we failed to get the brain worm before, you guys were so down that we'd have to wait again and I just had enough. When Leo said he was gonna go alone, I—I stayed up all night waiting for him to leave. I figured he wouldn't want anyone with him then. But he needed someone to watch out for him, and he was going so fast that I couldn't risk missing him to wake you guys up. So I followed him by myself to Shredder's lair and made him take me with him. We got as far as where they kept the worms, but…"

"Tiger Claw got you."

"Yeah, then Mega Shredder happened. We tried cutting it down to size but it caught me by my grappling hook. Next thing I knew, I was flying into its mouth!" Mikey grimaced at the memory. "Man, it was like going down this slimy tunnel trying to squish you—out of this world gross, I know—and then there was this acid pool with a worm in it! What's with bad guys and worms? That thing nearly ate me alive! Good thing I have my kusarigama!"

Mikey could feel the temperature in the room fluctuate between too hot and too cold, and hurried forward in an attempt to dodge a Raph-plosion™. "But dude, I made it out! I climbed that squishy tunnel by myself and whacked those teeth to bits—cool right?! Then you made the thing blow from the inside which was awesome! And we even got the brain worm too, double awesome! So I really, really didn't get it why you guys are acting like…"

"Like somebody died?" Raph's voice was sharp, almost cutting, and Mikey nearly flinched away. "Or did you really miss the part where you _almost_ did?"

Mikey paused, choosing his words as carefully as he could without lying. "I guess you could say, yeah. It didn't really matter because I made it out and we—"

"Didn't matter? Mikey, that was whole freaking point!" Raph's hands were suddenly on his shoulders and Mikey had never felt so small under those flashing emeralds. "The reason why we're all supposed to do these things as a team is so that we can watch each others' backs and make sure that sort of thing never happens! And do you really expect us to be happy about getting a brain worm when it nearly got you killed?!"

…

Well, duh, of course not.

Mikey knew his brothers cared about him enough to be saddened by his death. But if given the choice, his life over everyone else's, there really was none. His family would understand, and they'd get over it. It's not like he was indispensable to the team the way Leo, Raph and Donnie are. Mikey was just the clown, the jokester who everyone had to save at one point because he kept screwing up.

But before Mikey could try to explain, he felt arms around him, pressing him against a warm plastron, making him gasp in shock.

"Goddamn it, Mikey, don't do that!" Raph's voice cracked like glass shards and the words, pulled out forcefully. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't think—! Shell, this is so messed up, but we'll fix it, all right? (Fix this? Silly Raphie, that's my job, Mikey thought) Just don't ever look like that again because that's not supposed to be you and it's just so damn freaking wrong!"

"Whaddaya mean?" Confusion laced every letter of the question. "Look like what, Raphie?"

The older turtle shifted, and baby blues were filled with shimmering green. "Like it wouldn't matter if you were gone."

Mikey sucked in a breath. "But Karai—"

"Not even saving Karai is worth that, Mikey! And if Leo's the one who made think you that way, I swear I am going to beat the lovey dovey green outta him!" Raph said so firmly, laden with embers that Mikey was scared he wasn't kidding. "The way he's been acting is _begging_ for it!"

"You know how much Karai means to him, Raphie!"

"And just because he's got it bad for a girl doesn't mean it's OK for him to forget everything else!" Raph snapped. "Shell, he woulda ditched us back when Tiger Claw took off with Karai, remember? Did he even come to see you after your shell got knocked loose?"

"But it's not Leo's fault." The little turtle defended, a touch desperate as he clutched his older brother tightly. "It's just me being selfish! It's stupid and it shouldn't have even crossed my mind, because at least I'm not under Shredder's control. Don't blame Leo, Raphie, it's my fault. Please, _please_ , don't get mad at him because of me."

A second of quiet before Raph's forehead met his, the other's voice all exasperated, frustrated yet tender. "You're a whole lot of things, Michelangelo, but you are definitely NOT selfish."

"Raphie…"

"I sure am, though, so until we get you fixed, I'm staying angry at whoever I damn please."

There was wetness on his face and salt on his lips as he spoke shakily. "But I'm OK, Raphie. I really am."

Raph's arms around him tightened. "You're not, stupid baby brother. But I swear, no matter what, you will be."

* * *

Woah! This part grew into a far bigger behemoth than I expected, considering that this chap was the hardest for me to write and underwent several revisions. I did my best to write Raph but I'm not sure if I got him right. Hope he wasn't too OOC. :D

Again, thank you so much to all my readers/reviewers/story followers/everyone else who gave this baby a try. See you at Leo's chapter!


	5. Of Nightmares and Brothers

Again, thank you so, so much, for all my reviewers and to those who faved/followed this story! Much love and more power to you all! :D

Additional thanks to my anonymous reviewers: montypie and KittyKittyMeowM! Also thanks to all my reviewers' comments and suggestions. They really helped in the making of this chapter. Hopefully, this one goes well. Ehehe...*sweatdrop*

Notes: Futon is the traditional Japanese bed. It looks like a big comforter like mattress that you lay on the floor with a pillow or headrest.

* * *

If Mikey had a watch, he would have known that it 3:23 in the morning, and that it had been three hours since he was rudely awakened by nightmares that wouldn't let him fall back to sleep.

One would think that after a long day, physically and emotionally, Mikey would be out like a light all the way to breakfast. But he just had to have a nightmare about snakes, Rahzar, Tiger Claw and the Mega Shredder's insides, and now he had done everything short of chucking himself to go back to sleep.

Maybe I should have stayed with Raph after all.

The thought was dismissed as quickly as it came though. Raph had not so subtly invited Mikey to stay with him last night, but the youngest turtle declined, reasoning that he didn't want to risk hitting Raph's healing ankle and that Raph needed all the rest he could get without a clingy brother latching onto him. He had troubled Raph enough.

The red masked turtle had been reluctant, but Mikey's sweet talking and reassuring hugs won in the end.

" _I'm OK, Raphie. I really am."_

Well, at least Raph's getting a good night's sleep. Hopefully. Because Mikey can totally wing having only 3 hours if it meant his family was getting all that they'll need.

That left him terribly bored though, unless…

…Eh, why not? Mikey's lips curled mischievously before shooting up his bed. I don't feel like sleeping anymore anyway.

* * *

Fun fact: (most of) his family did not know this, but every time Mikey could not sleep, he would quietly "patrol" the lair and check on everyone.

No one locks their doors here, and, being the most fleet-footed turtle, Mikey could easily sneak into his family's rooms (even Splinter's) and make it out with no one being the wiser (usually), with such surprisingly amazing stealth that his brothers would be impressed.

Another fun fact: when they were tots, Mikey was the one who was frequented by nightmares about virtually anything. But with a father and three older brothers, he was never left wanting for comfort and an inviting bed to sleep over. Of course, this habit ebbed away through the years to the point of nearly ceasing when they started patrol.

Mikey had his new habit of secretly checking on everyone in the wee hours of the morning to thank for that.

It was easy for Mikey to sneak in despite the dim light, Raph's room being the first stop. Mikey could not help the sigh of relief when he saw the red banded turtle snoring comfortably under the sheets. He snuck in as quietly as he could then gently tugged his brother's sheets, tucking him in securely before leaving.

Don's room, across Raph's, was next, where Mikey hoped to find his third oldest brother. The good news was that Don was in his room for once. The not so good was that the taller turtle was sleeping on his desk.

Well, thank God for small miracles.

Mikey was tempted to carry Donnie to bed, but didn't want to risk waking him. So he just pulled a blanket over his sleeping brother's shoulders and left with the empty coffee mug.

He washed the mug in the kitchen and made a beeline for Ice Cream Kitty before heading to Sensei's room near the dojo. Unlike his brothers, Splinter was sleeping peacefully on a well made futon so Mikey was content with watching him for a few moments from the distance before closing the rice paper door.

Great! Now all that's left is Leo's, the room right across his. But, ironically, during his spur of the moment rounds, it's Leo who Mikey usually checked up on first.

During his going-to-my-brothers-after-every-nightmare days, it was to Leo that he usually went to. He was quite close to all his brothers, but being their eldest, Leo was nothing short of a hero in little Mikey's eyes. It also helped that Leo was the most patient and most accommodating brother when it came with to the baby of the family.

So, when his habit changed into checking-on-my-bros-at-night, Leo was always the first on Mikey's list, out of thanks for those childhood days when Leo welcomed Mikey without question and banished the imaginary monsters. It was also due to worry, as Mikey was one of the few who knew that Leo was plagued by more night terrors than the blue masked turtle would admit, and that whispered words of comfort and feather light touches did wonders in driving said terrors away.

Mikey was therefore not surprised when he saw Leo in a not so peaceful state of sleep.

What did was that Leo looked far more disturbed, almost terrified, to the point that it was as if he was trying to pick a fight with the bedsheets. The groans and mumble-shouts did not help either.

Mikey crossed his brother's tidy room in two quick strides to reach his side. The freckled turtle laid one hand on his brother's forehead—like he always did when he caught Leo having a nightmare—while the other attempted to loosen the sheets that trapped the older turtle's limbs. "Hey, shh, it's OK. Calm down, bro. I don't know what you're dreaming about, but just relax. You'll be OK."

But to Mikey's dismay, for some reason, it wasn't working. "N—No, don't. Stop…please…!"

Mikey was able to disentangle the sheets, but his brother's protests were becoming stronger. "Leo! Dude, calm down, get a hold of yourself! It's just a dream! You're safe!"

But whatever the nightmare was about, Leo was obviously too far into it to notice that he was already struggling violently against Mikey's attempts to soothe him. "No! That's not true! Damn it, I said let him go!"

"Uh," Mikey winced. Looks like he had no choice but to wake Leo up. "OK, bro, rise and shine! Up and at 'em, Leo! You're, uh, you're gonna miss training and your katas! Favorite part of the day, right? Oh and you bet Sensei's gonna be so mad if you do!"

" _DON'T!"_ And maybe it was because his brother was closer to his ear, but Leo's cries peaked to ear splitting volume. "Oh God, please, _please_ , no! Please no, not him! Not him! Please not—!"

What the shell are you dreaming about, Leo?! Mikey was this close to a full-blown panic because if Leo's thrashing became any more violent, Mikey wouldn't be strong enough to hold him down. So he did the only option he had left…"OK, Leo, I'm really sorry about this, but for the record, you totally made me do it!"

The youngest raised his hand. "Wake!" _Slap!_ "The!" _Slap!_ "Hell!" _Slap!_ "up!" _Slap!_ " _LEO!_ "

"… _NOOO!_ "

"YEOW!"

Leo shot up the bed, causing Mikey to fall gracelessly to the floor in an upside down tangle of limbs and blankets.

Ugh, my head. Mikey winced mentally from his uncomfortable position before shifting his eyes upward to his brother.

Leo was heaving, a hand to his plastron and the other clenching the bed sheet in a white knuckled grip, but at least he was awake, sorta.

Mikey let out a dainty cough. "Eh, Leo?"

It was probably realizing the fact that he wasn't alone in the room that brought the familiar alertness back into Leo's eyes that then widened in shock when he found the undignified source of the voice. "M—Mikey?"

"Right in one, bro!" The orange masked turtle said with no small amount of relief despite his now pounding head. "But, uh, I could use a little help?"

* * *

Figures that no nightmare in the known universe could stop Leo from going mother hen-y over something as small as a head bump.

Honestly, Mikey couldn't tell anymore what was making his head spin more, the after-effects of his glorious fall, or Leo's fussing over him.

The smaller turtle groaned as he repeated, for the seventh time that, "it's just a bruise, Leo. I've survived worse things than falling off a bed! I'm going to be fine!"

And, for the eighth time, Leo was obviously not having any of it. "You could have pulled something from the way you fell, Mikey. Are you sure you're not hurting anywhere else? And we really need to ice that bruise."

Cue baby blue eye roll. "Dude, seriously, the ice can wait! The bump hurts less than the rest of my head, actually. I just feel like sitting back a little."

"What?! But I thought you said—"

"Besides!" Mikey interrupted before Leo could pounce on that last bit of info. "If you're so worried about me having a concor, uh, something, maybe we should talk more about why it happened in the first place!"

At that, Leo flinched and dropped his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry."

Mikey shook his head, ignoring the wave of pain that came with it. "Dude, really, it's cool, but that's not what I wanted to know."

Leo bit his lip warily. "It's no big deal, Mikey, really. It was just a bad dream. I'll get over it."

"No big deal? Dude, you were freaking out like crazy in your sleep! And if I hadn't woken you up, you would have screamed loud enough to wake the dead!"

Leo flinched violently but kept his face blank. "I—I didn't think it was that bad,"

"It went _beyond_ bad, bro!"

"But I'm telling you, I'm OK. I just, I overreacted but I'm better now. Please, Mikey, let's just drop it."

Mikey felt a vein twitch. Making Leo admit that he needed help was harder than pulling teeth and nails! It was terribly frustrating because Leo was obviously not fine sitting across him, trembling knees pulled inward, and Mikey knew he being stonewalled and he had to do _something_!

Leo rubbed a hand to his eyes with a deep sigh. "Look, it's still too early for us to be up and we both need sleep so—"

"No."

"—w-what?"

"I'm not going anywhere Leo, not until I know you're fine." Mikey said forcefully, on his knees before his oldest brother. "And don't tell me that you are when you're obviously not! You've been all quiet and gloomy since we got back to the Lair, you've been having scream worthy nightmare on top of that, and for the love of pizza and Space Heroes, _why can you still not look at me?!_ "

Leo's shoulders under Mikey's grip were as tense as they were wobbly, making Mikey's insides burn with guilt but he pushed forward.

"You've always had my back, bro, whether from the Foot, the Kraang or those stupid nightmares. Why won't you let me be there for you, for once?" The orange masked turtle drew a steadying breath. "I meant what I said, Leo. I'm here for you too."

The pause afterwards held for like forever and a minute, then just when Mikey's bit of confidence was about to wither, there was a whisper.

"I know that, Mikey, and I can never be thankful enough for it." Leo said softly. "Because you're the one I can count on the most to be there."

Hold up! Mikey's eyes widened in disbelief. Did Leo really say what I think he just said?

"I count on everyone to keep the team going. Even when Raph and I fight all the time, I know he'd fight anything and anyone to protect us. Donnie's got our backs when it comes to figuring all those machines and the hard stuff. And Mikey you're—"

"You can't mean what you just said, Leo." Mikey blurted. "I mean, I'm the one who always pushes the wrong button or lets everyone know that we're there. If I didn't have our ninja training, I'll be officially useless!"

"Mikey—"

"It's no wonder why no one really wants to pair up with me, because I don't really bring anything to the team, do I?" His eyes were suddenly blurry, his head and chest were hurting like crazy and, oh God, Michelangelo, what the hell are you doing?! Just shut up! "I make things harder for everyone, my jokes piss the shell off of you guys and if there's something that can go wrong, mess-it-all-up Mikey will make it go wrong because he just has to be there and—"

"STOP IT!" Mikey jumped back as if slapped, and it was now Leo's hands gripping the freckled turtle's arms. "None of that is true, Mikey! There's no way you're useless, and there's no way we would ever stop wanting you around!"

"But I'm just—"

"You goof off a lot and I'll admit, sometimes, I wish you'd grow up and take our missions seriously." Leo's tone was dead serious, his firm yet blazing azure eyes meeting Mikey's for the first time since the Mega Shredder fiasco. "But each time I think that, I would remember that that is who you are! And you bring to this team what ninja skills and smarts can't.

"You keep us from forgetting that before we're a family and not just a ninja team. You see the good in everything and that has saved us a lot of times before. And you always, _always_ , have our backs, even when Raph, Don or even I question my own decisions. So if anyone's the failure, I…I'd say it would be me."

A beat, then Mikey gaped and shook his head frantically. "Wha—dude! No way!"

Leo shook his head. "I shouldn't have thought sneaking in on my own was a good idea, I shouldn't have run off without telling you guys, I shouldn't have dragged you down with me when the plan went south, and I shouldn't have let the Mega Shredder take you because I royally _fucked_ up!"

Holy pepperoni, this is real bad! Mikey realized. Leo did swearing as often as Raph did mushy or Donnie did stupid. Which was one breath away from _never_. But before Mikey could get a word in, Leo's arms were around him in a crushing embrace, so tight that it hurt in an oddly comforting way.

"In my dream, we were both still after the brain worm but the Mega Shredder was guarding it. I-I made you distract it so I could slip past and get the worm. I was able to, but then the Mega Shredder got you. I tried to help but," The anguish in Leo's voice twisted Mikey's heart painfully. "You kept telling me to leave, that I had to get the brain worm back to Donnie, that I needed to forget about you and save Karai. You kept shouting it, over and over until Mega Shredder finally ate you. And after that, I just…I lost it."

"L-Leo."

"It was one huge blur. I knew I was fighting, I knew I was screaming, I knew Mega Shredder was attacking me, but nothing made sense other than that need to get you back because the thought of you gone hurt so damn much, having to move on without you was the most terrifying thought in the world and I was praying to anyone who would listen that please, please, _please_ not my little brother." There was dampness on his shoulder and Mikey knew that his brother was crying.

"I still care, Mikey. I always will because before anyone else, you, Raph, Don and Sensei are my family and there's nothing that can be worth having to lose any one of you."

"…Not even saving Karai?" Mikey hated how unsure he sounded but could not help it either.

"Never, and I'm so sorry that I ever made you think that it is." A hand then moved to brush at Mikey's cheek, wet from the small turtle's own tears. "You're my baby brother, Mikey. You're a huge part of me that no one, not even Karai, can ever fill. I know it's my fault that you think so and I don't know how I'll make it up to you, Raph and Don but will you let me try?"

It started with a hiccup, then several hitches before Mikey fully bawled, the pent up torrents from behind the dam he carefully built threatening to drown him because he wasn't supposed to feel this way. But he cried on anyway, holding onto his eldest brother, shaking with harsh sobs tearing out of his throat and hot tears spilling by the buckets from his eyes.

Leo simply held him closer as he rested his forehead against Mikey's. "You're the heart of this team, little brother, and this family will never be whole without you, so please don't go thinking that it won't matter to us if you threw your life away."

"R-really? Do you all really think that?"

"…Like you really need to ask that, bonehead," was the gruff response from the doorway.

Mikey reeled back in shock when his eyes landed on the door to Leo's room. He couldn't—there was no way—! "Raph? Donnie? What are you guys doing here?"

"You left the door open, genius," Raph answered thickly, and even in the dark, Mikey could see his second oldest brother's green irises shine with feeling. From behind him, Donnie shut the said door closed.

"How—how much did you hear?"

"Enough." Donnie said with sad brown eyes. "Oh, Mikey, why didn't you say anything?"

Mikey felt his cheeks burn. "But there's nothing worth saying—"

"Idiot. What did I tell you about looking that way?" Raph lightly smacked the back of his head as he and Donnie joined their other brothers on Leo's bed.

"Leo's right, Mikey." Donnie said more gently. "Given that you drive us crazy with your antics most of the time, and you do cause a lot of trouble, but we'd take all of that any day over not having you at all." The tallest turtle placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Like what I told you before, it means everything to all of us that you're here, Mikey."

"So don't do anything stupid that would change that." Raph added. "Besides, if you're not around, who'd make breakfast? Leo will burn the kitchen without even trying."

"Raph!"

Mikey let out a watery laugh at Leo's half-hearted protest. "Sorry bro, but you totally would."

"The point is, Mikey, you're not just the goofy ninja." Raph said with sudden seriousness. "You're our brother and we're not letting you go without a fight, so don't even try. We're stuck with each other till the day we die."

"Which I may add will not be for a very long time, not if I have anything to say about it." Donnie added primly.

The youngest turtle felt lighter than he had in a long time at those words. "I love you guys. I really, really do."

Leo pressed a kiss on Mikey's temple. "And we love you, baby brother. Nothing will ever change that."

Basked in the warmth of home, comfort and _family_ where walls and lonesome silences hold no meaning, Mikey found himself believing with everything he had.

* * *

Whoa Nelly, it's done! :O

You guys wouldn't believe how many days I've pained over this chapter because it kept turning out crappy! Eh, I hope this one's OK with you guys. Just the more (hopefully, mercifully shorter) epilogue left.

If you guys are still here, thanks for sticking with me this long. And if this chapter is to your liking (or if you have any comments and suggestions), please leave a review!


	6. Of Movies and Family

"Freedom!"

Mikey cried out dramatically with a slump to the _tatami_ flooring beside a grinning Leo. "Finally! No more extra flips! No more _katas_! No more whacks from the end of Sensei's cane!"

"Oh come on, Mikey. It wasn't that bad."

Mikey huffed. "Of course you'd think that, bro! You're _Leonardo_! You live and breathe for training!"

It was the only possible explanation why the oldest of the four turtles would find something like additional training—which was supposed to be a form of _punishment_ —so freaking enjoyable!

With Raph still out of commission, the three remaining brothers were subjected to extensive training by Splinter which Mikey had the feeling were made to run the rest of them ragged, extra flips and _katas_ excluded. And to think he and Leo had three days worth of extra training to do!

So pardon Mikey if he was flopping merrily like Christmas had come early on the last day of the punishment.

"Ooh, I'm beat. I think I'm gonna go into hyperbation until tomorrow, or next week." Mikey sighed, already curling on the floor. "Wake me up when the pizza's here, all right?"

Leo smirked with a shake of his head. "I won't sleep down here if I were you, unless you want to give Sensei more reasons to add to your flips tomorrow."

Mikey promptly jumped up and backed away in terror. "No! Holy jaloopa anything but that—!"

"Besides, you wouldn't want to miss out on movie night now, would you?"

"Huh, movie night?" The orange masked turtle blinked with a tilt of his head.

"Since we still can't go on patrol yet, the others figured we can just kick back, gorge on chips and watch the good stuff like we used to back at the farmhouse." Leo explained, smiling wistfully. "April's promised to bring the food and Casey's got some new movies. He even got a Disney one because everyone knows how much you love those."

Mikey felt a grin bloom on his face at the thought. After Leo had woken up but was still recovering from the Shredder's vicious attack during the Kraang invasion, the four brothers, April and Casey have taken to lounging in the farmhouse's living room after training, surrounded by chips, pizza and popcorn while watching old movies April had managed to scavenge in the house's attic.

They never really found the time to have a movie night again after returning to New York, and while Mikey never really mentioned it, deep down he sorely missed those lazy yet fun filled nights. Besides, who could really say no to Disney?

And speaking of Disney…

"Did Casey also bring the—?"

"Seven times of seeing the Lion King is more than enough, Mikey!" The stern effect Leo was trying to project was ruined by barely smothered laughter. "But Casey's promised a movie that he'd think you would enjoy just as much."

The youngest turtle pouted. "Nothing's gonna ever beat the Lion King."

"You'll never know until you try, little brother." Leo said patiently, holding a hand out to Mikey. "What do you say?"

Mikey pretended to think about it before taking his brother's hand. "Oh fiiine. Did Casey mention what the movie was though?"

* * *

"It's one of my favorite Disney movies ever, Mikey! I'm sure you'll love it!" April said enthusiastically as she placed bags of chips and snacks on the kitchen table. "I can't say for sure it'll be something like the Lion King for you but it is a pretty good one!"

"Maaaybe." Mikey said after placing the second bag of popcorn in the microwave. "What's the story about anyway?"

"It's about this girl who pretended to be a guy to get into the army for her old man." Casey shrugged at the surprised looks sent his way. "It was at the back of the video cover, dudes. If I had to go rent a movie, I should at least know what it's gonna be about, right?"

April shrugged. "Point."

"I'm just psyched over all of us getting together for a movie night like old times." Mikey said happily over a pan of melting butter on the stove. "Don't tell the guys I said so, but with everyone being so focused on the Kraang, the Foot and Karai, we never make time to just relax and spend some quality time, y'know?"

A fond smile crossed April's lips. "Well, at least we've got you to remind us how important that is too, right? Relaxing, quality time and all?"

"Yeah, that would be—"The freckled turtle then winced. "Eh, nah, the bros will probably think it's just me looking for an excuse to goof off. You know how hard it is to gather them all in one place unless it has something to do with patrol."

"Yeah, but you're always able to do it somehow, Mikey." Casey said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm sure the guys will be all for it if you told them outright why you think you should make time for movie nights."

There was a pause before Mikey piped up, so softly that the humans had to lean forward to hear it. "You guys really think so?"

"Absolutely." April answered with a firm nod. "There's more to life than being ninjas, you know. But I get that with everything going on around us, it can be easy to forget that. That's why it's such a big thing for everyone that you never do."

"So don't think of kicking the bucket anytime soon, little dude." Casey added, slinging an arm around Mikey's shoulder. "The Lair's gonna be a dull place if you ain't around."

There was something off with the gruff way Casey said it that made Mikey's gut twist, and if he weren't holding the pan with the butter, the turtle would have face palmed. Of course Casey and April must have been affected by what happened with the Mega Shredder too! Were the two humans not part of their extended family?

Stupid Mikey, I can't believe you forgot about them! The small turtle berated himself. Bad Mikey! Bad! Bad! Bad stupid jerk Mikey!

"Uh, Mikey?"

"Aww, man, I can't believe I've been such a dope!" Mikey said after switching off the stove. "All this time I've been worrying about how my bros and Sensei have been hit by what happened by the Mega Shredder that I didn't even think about how it would have felt on your end!"

April smiled gently. "Hey, it's OK, Mikey. We were just glad you and Leo were fine. And Casey and I get it, you have your family to—"

"That's just it!" Mikey interjected. "You guys are my family just as much as my bros and Sensei are! And it was really not cool of me to forget about how you guys must have felt at the time just because everything turned out to be OK.

"So I'm really, _really_ sorry for what happened with the Mega Shredder, I'm really sorry for making you all worry and I'm sorry for being a bad turtle bro and forgetting. But it won't happen again!" Mikey raised a determined finger. "I swear on my honor as the pizza loving teenage mutant ninja turtle!"

April and Casey blinked wordlessly for what felt like forever and a day before the humans broke into laughter.

"H-hey!" Mikey sputtered, his cheeks ablaze. "I was being serious, guys!"

"Sorry, Mikey, but we just couldn't help it! You really are something else!" April said, tone as soft and fond as the hand she rubbed on Mikey's head. "But I meant what I said. Yeah, we were worried like crazy when you and Leo disappeared like that, but having you back safe and sound was more than enough to make up for it."

"Oh but you guys were mad about it too, right?" Mikey pointed out. "Just say it if you were. My bros were too at first."

"Well yeah, but not much because I guess I could say I saw where you were coming from at the time." Casey said while April nodded. "That's just how you four are, really. And if I were the one on your shoes, I would have totally done it. Just…try not to get too close to getting killed for comfort next time, all right?"

"And for the record, you're not a bad turtle bro, as you put it." April added. "You're a very awesome one, and swear on your pizza loving turtle self that you won't forget that too."

It was Mikey's turn to blink momentarily before smiling. "Gee, you guys drive a hard bargain, but if it's for movie night…"

There was another round of laughter before Mikey took out the freshly made popcorn and poured in the butter and salt, but the slow building warmth never left Mikey's eyes or heart.

It only grew to a steady burn when the three friends, armed with snacks and drinks, arrived at the living room to find not only Leo, Raph and Donnie gathered in the living area, but Splinter as well.

"What? Did you really think I would say no to a good movie or two?" Splinter said with mock loftiness at Mikey's stupefied look. "Besides, I heard April managed to procure some delectable cheese puffs."

"Geez, what the shell are you waiting for, Mikey?" Raph grumbled, though his grin gave his excitement away. "We even got that Disney princess movie popped in for you already!"

"And after that, we get to watch the sequel to the first Star Wars movie!" Donnie said excitedly. "Though technically, movie chronology speaking, the first Star War movie is the fourth because the last three movies are the—"

"Yes of course, Donnie, you've only explained that for the hundredth time." Leo's eyes twinkled merrily. "Now can you guys get the popcorn over here so we can start the movie?"

"Two heaps of buttery goodness, coming right up!" The orange masked turtle laughed after taking his seat between Donnie and Raph, basking in the warmth of home, happiness and family that he would never trade for anything in the world and that he would live a long time for to keep on going.

And as the rest of his family sat back, enjoying buttery popcorn, pepperoni pizza, cheese puffs, and the excitement of watching Mulan take out nearly the entire Hun army with a single canon, Mikey blinked back the sting in his eyes with a blinding grin.

I have everything I'll ever need right here.

* * *

 **おわり**

 **~The End~**

* * *

And it's done! Ooooh my! Can you guys believe it?

Much gratitude to everyone who stuck with me thus far and read this baby all the way to the end. It's been fun writing it and I can never thank you all for joining me in this journey. This story is officially closed but if you've enjoyed this one, I hope you'll also consider reading my future works.

And for those who are interested, I'm now free to continue the "other side" version of this story in AO3, titled "Always Be Here". Expect the next chapter of that to come out early next year, because you know, holidays. :D

 **Merry Christmas to you all and a Joyous New Year!**


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